


Earth's Best Defender

by s_piderling



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Endgame, Endgame Fix-It, F/M, Found Family, Light Angst, Post-Endgame, Tony Stark Deserves Better, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, endgame spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-07 13:23:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_piderling/pseuds/s_piderling
Summary: Tony Stark wakes up.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is your last chance to back out, Endgame spoilers ahead.  
> .  
> .
> 
> A quick fix-it where Tony lives because damnit, he deserves retirement with his family, not death.

Tony Stark wakes up.

He wakes up, and the first thing he notices is how dark it is. The second thing he notices is the weight across his legs. He panics, kicking out. He hears a muffled ‘oomph’, and tries to raise his head to see, only to be pushed back down. He opens his mouth to scream, but then there’s a face over his, so familiar and lovely and _home_ that he whimpers instead.

“Tony, oh my god. You made it, you saved everyone and you made it. That’s Morgan on your legs, she doesn’t sleep unless she falls asleep with you first. You’re okay, Tony. You’re okay.” _Pepper_. He goes to raise a hand to touch her face, and whines in frustration when he can’t. He tries with his other hand, and manages to run his fingers along her cheek, catching some of the wetness there. He tries to speak, but his mouth and throat are so dry he can’t get anything out. Pepper gently holds his hand there, turning her head to press a kiss to his fingers. “I’m going to call the doctors now, okay? They’re going to check you over and make sure you’re alright.”

Tony shakes his head, swallowing. He speaks, even though it feels like speaking through a throat full of rocks. “M-Morgan, Pete, Rho-”

“I’ll wake up Morgan and call Peter too, okay? Peters just down at the cafeteria, grabbing him and me some coffee. He left right before you woke up. Rhodey is on clean-up duty, you’ve only been out for a little over a week. He’ll be here as soon as he can.” Pepper gently puts his hand down, and moves to where Morgan is, curled up on Tony’s legs fast asleep. “Morgan, baby, it’s time to get up.”

“No,” Morgan mumbles, pushing her face into Tony’s calves, “staying with Daddy.”

Pepper runs a hand through her hair. “Baby, look up. Daddy’s awake.” That gets Morgan’s attention, and she yanks her head up before she shifts up so she’s sat on her father’s thighs. “Daddy!” She yells, making Tony wince. “Sorry,” she whispers, “I’m happy you’re awake.”

Tony can feel himself starting to tear up, and doesn’t try to hide it.

“Daddy’s probably hurting, Morgan, and he can’t talk much right now. I’m going to call the doctors to help him, but that means you need to get off, okay? You can sit right next to him, but the doctors will need you to be off the bed.” Pepper lifts Morgan out of the bed, letting her press a kiss to her dad’s face before depositing her in one of the chairs by his bedside and hitting the nurse call button.

Immediately, there’s a doctor and nurse in the room, Shuri right behind them. The nurse hands Pepper a cup and straw, setting a big water jug on a table by the bed. The doctor grabs Tony’s chart, giving it a glance-over. “I’m glad to see you awake, Mr. Stark. I’m Doctor Gilio. Do you remember what happened? Just nod or shake your head.”

Tony nods, accepting the straw Pepper puts to his lips, drinking the water as fast as he could. “Careful, Tony,” Pepper chides softly, “you don’t want to make yourself sick.”

“You were put in a medically induced coma to heal from your injuries that welding the gauntlet caused you. Thor helped keep your heart beating while Shuri did the best she could with nearly no resources until we could get you hooked up. Transporting you was difficult, but you made it.” The doctor flips Tony’s chart over. “Now, the hard part. You’ve lost one of your arms, and we had to reconstruct your ear. Any feeling of pressure in your ear may be a sign of hearing loss. You also have bad burn scars over your chest.”

“That’s why I’m here,” Shuri says, stepping forward. “We made Barnes an arm, and would like to do the same for you. The doctors here have also let me use the bit of Wakandan tech I could have brought over in order to help your recovery. You should have full movement of everything except the missing arm. I have repaired the damage that was done to your neck and eye as well. I know you are also a man of money, but my brother is funding your entire medical stay and costs associated with it.”

Tony closes his eyes, letting the information wash over him. He doesn’t want an arm like Barnes’ - one that could be used as a weapon. He doesn’t want to see or touch another weapon ever again.

“We’re going to take you off the machines,” the nurse says, “you’ve been breathing on your own for a while now, and we’ve only had you on the IV for fluid and nutrients. The catheter will be removed as well, and we’d like to get you up and moving as soon as you feel able. We’d like to keep you for another night or two, just to keep an eye. We’ll just have you hooked up so we can monitor your vitals, but that’s it. Visitors are allowed, just let us know who is and isn’t allowed in the room.”

Tony nods, drinking more of the water. “Cheeseburger?” He asks, making Pepper laugh.

The doctor smiles, “Normally, we do not allow outside food. However, an exception can be made for Earth’s Best Defender and Saver of the Universe.” She winks, and Tony knows she’s trying to lighten the mood, but it feels like a dead weight in his stomach. A reminder that he defied certain death twice in such a short period of time. He wasn’t supposed to make it out of space, he wasn’t supposed to live after wielding the gauntlet.

“Is that all, Doctor?” Pepper asks, and the doctor nods, letting them know how to alert someone for more water or if Tony’s status changes. The doctor a nurse file out, but Shuri lingers.

“I know you do not want to take credit, Mr. Stark,” she starts, “but without you, we would have lost people not only to battle, but to Thanos once again. Instead, Thanos and anyone who may try to avenge his death is gone. There are no more threats. You will always be an Avenger, Mr. Stark, but you don’t have to fight anymore. As your wife has said, you can rest now.”

Tony nods, and she leaves. Pepper gives him more water, and helps him move his bed so he’s sitting up instead of laying back.

“Hey, I’m sorry about being gone for so long, this hospital is so confusing! The signs are useless, by the way. I forgot how you wanted your coffee, so I just grabbed milk and sugar packets and hoped for the best? Sorry, Mrs. Stark -” Peter finally looks up during his rambling, and the coffees and aforementioned sugar packets crash to the floor. “Mr Stark!” Peter yells, launching himself across the room. “You're awake! I thought you were gone, Mr. Stark. You’re like a dad to me, you know? I didn’t know what to do, and then Thor and Shuri did some weird magic stuff and your heart was beating! And then you came here.”

So he did die, then. It made sense, but he hates that he was mourned for the minutes he was.

“I’m okay, kiddo,” Tony says, voice still rough. “I’ve got my kids and my wife, and I’m retiring as soon as I’m out of this damn hospital.”

Morgan has crawled back into Tony’s lap, and Peter sits as close as the rail on the bed will allow, right next to Pepper, who smooths Tony's hair off his forehead, pressing a kiss there.

“You’ve got us,” Peter says, near tears, “You’ve got us and if anyone tries to make you fight again I’ll fight them.”

“I’ll fight too!” Morgan cheers.

“That won’t be necessary, Pete,” Pepper grins, “My lawyers are going to take care of it. We’re going to be a family now, as we’re meant to be.”

“A family,” Tony says softly, “my family.”

“Your family,” Pepper says firmly. “You, me, Morgan, Pete, May, Rhodes and Harley. We’re your family, Tones, and we love you.”

“Three _thousand_ ,” Morgan confirms.

“I love you, too, Mr. Stark.”

Tony looks at the people he loves, his _family_ , minus Rhodey and Harley, and - wait.

“Harley?” Tony asks, “who called Harley?”

“You’ve been visiting him ever since you took over his garage, of course he heard the news and was worried. He’s staying in a hotel nearby and will be around in the morning.”

Tony nods. “I love you all,” He says, “and that’s why I mean it when I say I’m hanging up the suits and Avengers stuff up for good. I’m retiring.”

“And you deserve it,” Peter says, “You saved the _world_ , Mr. Stark. As far as I’m concerned, you can do whatever you want, now.”

“Now get some sleep, Tony,” Pepper says, “it’s three in the morning. We can figure everything else out in the morning.”

He looks at the three of them again, and panics. He can’t sleep, what if he wakes up and it’s all gone? What if this is his eternal punishment? Thinking he made it, only to have it ripped away over and over?”

“Mr Stark!” Peter snaps Tony out of his thoughts, “We’re not going anywhere. We promise. You made it.”

“I made it.”

“You made it.”

Tony stops fighting the fatigue then, letting sleep wash over him.

 _I made it,_ he thinks just as he’s falling asleep, _I really made it out._

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted angst and fluff, and Tony rightfully being mad at Steve and holding that anger because damnit I'm still not over CACW

“Tony, the Avengers are here to see you,” Pepper sticks her head in the bedroom door one afternoon, when Harley, Peter, Morgan and Tony were in the middle of a serious game of Connect Four.  “I can tell them to leave, if you’re not ready yet.”

“Can you keep them busy for another five minutes, Pep? Pete and I have to demolish Harley and Morgan real quick.”

Pepper smiles, genuine and big, closing the door softly.

Morgan and Harley take their turn, Harley indulging Morgan even though the piece would work much better somewhere else. He and Peter share a look, and then Harley opens his mouth.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to see them, Pa?”

“You don’t have to worry about me, kid, and neither do you, Peter.”

“Rogers hurt you and then expected everything to be alright because  _ you  _ pushed your feelings aside for the greater good  _ again _ . I was told about what happened at the compound - you ripped out your arc reactor, dad, and shoved it in his hands. He betrayed you and left you when you needed him.”

Tony plays his piece, and shakes his head at Peter. “You’re worrying your sister. I promise I’m going to be alright. Steve is complicated, and I didn’t exactly give him a chance to apologize or explain.”

“If he does anything…” Peter trails off, and Tony snorts.

“Let’s just finish the game, kiddos. I did promise the winner whatever dessert they want.”

Harley and Peter begrudgingly agree, and none of them mention it to each other when they let Morgan win.

 

Later, they wheel Tony out to the living room where the people he once might have called his family (they may have saved the universe together, but some betrayals never fade, even this long after) stand. He argued against the wheelchair, but he keeps trying to reach his right arm out to steady himself and falling over. He’d really rather not do that in front of them.

“Tony,” Steve says, “You have no idea how glad I am that you’re okay.”

Tony tries to choke down his anger. Horribly misplaced anger, over those few words. He told Peter it didn't matter. It doesn’t work. “Are you, Cap? Because I remember you leaving me for dead in Siberia. I thought you’d just be upset that you didn’t finish the job, honestly. I needed you after Ultron. I needed you with the Accords. I needed you then, in Siberia, I needed you on Titan. I needed you facing off Thanos again, and I needed you when I snapped my fingers. But I don’t need you now, Rogers. I’m glad for your help, I am, but I don’t need you. And honestly, I don’t want you around.”

“Tony…”

“Thor jumped to help, Steve. You just grit your teeth and waited for me to die.”

Tony wonders if Steve even remembers Tony ripping the reactor out and placing it in his hand - detachable or not.

Steve stays silent. Tony looks at the rest of them. “I care about all of you, I really do. But I can’t do this anymore. I don’t want to brag, but I literally saved the universe. I just want to go home for good. I want my family, my bots, and my farmhouse. I want to tinker and not have it be suits or weapons or upgrades.”

“So you’re retiring?” Clint asks.

“You deserve it, Tony,” Bruce says, shooting Clint a look.

“I understand, Tony. I wish you well.” Thor nods.

“I’m retiring. I still care about you guys, we’ve fought together and I’ll even admit we bonded, on some level. But I don’t want any Avengers, SHIELD, or SI talk.”

“And you’re right in wanting that, Tony.”

Tony blinks. He expected Steve to give him some self-righteous talk about sacrifice for the greater good and the possibility of Hydra still being out there.

“Anyway,” He says, trying to process that maybe Steve had changed a lot, too, “I thought I’d get that out of the way.”

There’s silence, and then Pepper - bless her - speaks. “Tony has a roast on, if you’d all like to stay for dinner. I just ask that you refrain from upsetting any of my family.”

“Beef or pork?” It’s Sam who asks, and Tony grins.

“Beef, Wilson. Pork is considered a mystery meat in this house.”

“Not even bacon?” Bucky asks, looking like someone’s kicked his puppy.

(Tony wishes he could still be mad at him. He knows it wasn’t really Bucky’s fault. He’d been scared and angry, just like Tony, in Siberia. Hydra was controlling him when he did what he did before.)

“Dad-Man says we’re all about ‘living past fifty in this house,’” Harley says with a roll of his eyes, “We have turkey bacon and vegan sausages.”

“And it’s keeping you healthy, kiddo.”

“Giving us an edge, too,” Peter mumbles.

“What?” Harley squints at Peter.

“Didn’t your school have it?”

“Have what?” Harley’s grinning now, the tell-tale mischievous grin in his eye.  

“If you’re a student, or a soldier, there is one thing that will give you an edge - a hot lunch.” Peter recites, deadpan.

“You don’t have to be injected with a secret government super soldier serum to have strong bones and muscles,” Harley finishes before the two boys collapse in laughter.

“Daddy, I don’t get it!” Morgan whines, looking at her brothers.

“I don’t get it either, squirt,” He replies, eyeing them warily. “Care to explain?”

“Cap made PSAs!” Harley manages to get out, nearly wheezing.

Tony looks at Steve, who looks completely lost. “I didn’t do anything like that,” Steve says. “I think I’d remember.”

“Pete, go get your laptop. We need to show them this,” Harley says.

Pete runs out, and Steve looks concerned. “I didn’t do any PSAs,” he repeats.

When Peter hooks it up and shows the team, any previous tension is diffused immediately in favour of laughing at Steve.

“The most important weapon in any soldiers’ arsenal,” Clint wheezes, “math!”

“You know what’s really exciting?” Bruce giggles (and woah is that kind of terrifying when he’s green), “reading!”

“Stevie’s never followed a rule in his one-hundred years of life,” Bucky says, “I’d like that on record.”

“Guys, I really didn't make these.”

“Who did, then?” Pepper asks, “I know for sure your PR was nothing like this.”

“Surprise,” a voice drawls from behind Thor, who’s eyes widen.

“Loki?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending kind of wrote itself, and I didn't have the heart to delete it. Whoops


End file.
